Love this!! I've been meaning to create a comparison video similar to this, but you just killed it! I think my favourites would still be the 35 or 50 - I prefer slightly less foreground/background separation, but the 70-200 photos were amazing.
I agree with you, the 85 is where it’s at. Can’t beat that working distance/subject separation combo. 70-200 is pretty sweet though with the compression.
I have those 4 Canon L equivalents. The last 2 lenses I picked up the 100mm 2.8 L Macro (Peter Hurley's go-to headshot lens after watching his videos) and also the 135 f2 L based on countless testimonies on how people prefer it over the 85 1.2 when shooting outdoors. I love the 135 f2 L's rendering. Perfectly sharp but the shadows have a natural soft light on them. For indoors when trying to shoot with ambient light, the f2 is a bit slow since I'm spoiled now and can't shoot at anything other than ISO 100.
What I really love about your channel ,is the fact that you give soooo many information in a very short time,your videos are really helpfull, thank you
If you want to save some money and still be happy: 1. Ziess 55mm 1.8 2. Sony FE 85mm 1.8 3. Sony Kit Lens for wider angles (The compromise) I'd love a Batis 25/2 for this purpose though.
It's nice but compared to the Batis 25 it's not close at all. I shoot video a lot so the Batis 25 is the best lens out there, it has a 3D effect on images. Next in line would be the Ziess 55mm 1.8. The FE 85mm 1.8 would for photos only in my case. Examples of the Batis 25 in video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-E4plCnbI3mg.html ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Ax9MmyHgnQ8.html
I was considering buying a 50mm f1.4 lens again, but I gotta admit, my 85mm has the most beautiful natural bokeh and the compression is just unbeatable. I'm also very much considering a 70-200 for grandscale landscape photography, which will probably be my next lens purchase
For working with a model I'd choose the 85mm too. I feel like you stay connected to the model by staying close and able to communicate if you need to without yelling across the park. I do love the 200 but only for subjects I dont need to talk to like sports or something. Great video.
The 70-200 is my favorite for portraits.. I live in a kind of bland plain looking city and having so much control of the background is so nice ! I also love the the 85 G master it has this unique aesthetic with very sharp/contrasty images but at the same time in all the right ways it has such a soft, smooth, and dreamy look. The cost of the 70-200 is just too dam high it killed me spending $800 more than my a7iii on one lens..
This is the downside of Sony lenses in my research for potentially replacing my Nikon kit. Everybody keeps raving about the A73's price to performance ratio. Yes, that's good. But the native Sony lenses are just way more expensive than both Nikon and Canon's camp. For example. The Nikon 70-200/2.8 Gen2 costed me 1800$ brand new, day 1 (in 2011) It performs just as good as the Sony one (friend has it, shot with it a few times) but it costs +1000$ more. So i opted to sticking with my Nikon kit as i have no issues with that. And continue to use Fuji X100F for a daily walk-around/weekend-city-trip shooter.
Nicely done. I like the look of the 200mm, but my all time fav is the 135 f/2. You get the best of the 85 and the 200 in one. Thanks for sharing my friend
I normally use three lens for portraiture. 85 1.8, 135 f2 and 70-200 f2.8. My favorite is the 135, closely followed by the other two lens. I also like the 55mm 1.8 for tighter quarters. Great video Manny.
Shooting wide with the 35 you can always crop in if you have the megapixels. I know its not the best practice, but it works if you dont have a longer lens
3:49 something I never liked about shooting at 200mm and f2.8 is that some close objects still get focused, specially when there are trees or people nearby. Apart from that, these shots look amazing.
Hard to choose, I own an 85mm 1.4 GM as well and I love it. Always wanted that 35mm 1.4 too though, just love the idea of including the environment in the scene. The background compression at 200mm is awesome as well. If I could afford them all I'd go wild obviously lol. 35mm is my next buy though.
Daniel Anagnostis Look at Julia Trotti’s channel, she shoots portraits primarily with a 35mm and not all of them include the environment that much, and those look AWESOME! She knows how to use composition, (natural) lighting and posing though...
I love the 70-200mm that’s mostly my go to lens, with the occasional trip to 50mm world but looking at this vid I’m now asking why I never take the 85mm road.. I have one and rarely touch it.. this vid has made me feel like I’m missing out somewhat..great great vid thanks my 85mm lens thanks you for its upcoming airing.✌️😂👍
Hey Manny, I love the look of the 85 mm 1.4 GM lens, but cant deny the results of the 70-200 mm 2.8 GM. I still believe after everything I have learnt so far and all the tutorial video's i have seen, the 85mm is still the best lens for portraiture photography. Its a shame the Zeiss Otus 1.4 doesn't fit directly onto Sony E-Mount systems.
I agree with your choice on the 85mm, I use it regularly for portraiture but find myself going back to my 70-200mm. I just like the compression you can get with it. Good video.
Love my 85mm f1.4, i have been debating between the 135mm and 70-200 as my next lens, but with Sigma throwing in their Bokeh Master 105mm 1.4 art, I don't know....😦the struggle.
I'm in the same situation as well. Want an autofocus my Zeiss is manual and either the Sigma 135/1.8 or the Sig/Nikkor 105|1.4 would be a perfect addition. No idea which way I'm going to go
This is very helpful in choosing a portrait lens, I was slightly confused before at the differences. But having you actually show the photos taken in different distances, def helped.
The 55mm Z lens is superbly sharp and flexible. I’d still opt for the 70-200 because it fits other things so I’d use it more. The test might have been more valuable if you did 35mm portraits with all lenses that could do that, then 50mm with each, 85mm with each and then 135 and 200. I know all the lenses don’t do all lengths, but the one to one comparison of those that do would be worthwhile as well.
Great video. I've been shooting for over 30 years but it still helps to see these all at once. Only thing missing is the 135mm. The old A-mount Zeiss was my favorite portrait lens of all time. Already have the Sigma 135mm FE mount on order. Passed on the Zeiss Batis... only because I thought the price was a bit high for a 2.8. Have been waiting for years now for Sony to either repackage their CZ 135 or come out with an all new one... but with as good as the Sigma Art is I probably wont care as much very soon.
I love the comparison. I do love the option of obliterating the background like the longer, wide aperture lenses do. I have used the 7-200, and also, I have often used my adapted Canon 200mm f/2 prime lens, which requires in-ear to direct well, but the look... well, there is nothing that I have found which comes close.
Another Great One!! You stuff stays on rotation. But that 85mm is the boss though. Close enough to the subject without getting weird, and without image distortion. LOVE IT!!
70-200mm for outdoor portrait, Full body, sports, weddings & more. 85mm for low light situation like indoor portrait: Subway, Coffee store, restaurants, neon lights. Obviusly for outdoor portrait too. The other day I went to a comic con and use both. The 85mm for most of the event, cosplayer, action figures. and the 70-200mm use it because it was in the crowd away from the famous one (Nathalie Emannuel from Game of Thrones)
Manny the 200 definitely. Sharper and image was clear. The bokeh was really made the image of your wife’s face stand out. Have you ever noticed how a good faded background gives a model that 3D effect. Love the 200. Good job and keep the good work.
I shoot a 70-200/2.8 outdoors for the last 7 years. Portraits, concerts etc. I stopped doing concerts in the last 2 years, where that whole range was great. For portraits i noticed i always just crank it to 200/2.8 and keep it there. So i will probably shell out for a 200/2 prime soon and get an even creamier result.
Tough to pick a favorite. My all-round go-to is the Zeiss 24-70. However, I love my G-Master 70-200 because it can do just as well as my 2 primes. If I’m in studio, I’ll use my Zeiss 85mm most, but man my Zeiss 135 F1.8 creates some beautiful images! I guess it really boils down to what type of portraiture I’m shooting at the time, and how much space I’ve got to work with. Great channel, man!
Hi Manny, I love your videos. I have primes at 14, 24, 28, 35, 40, 50, 55, 85, 90, 135, 200 and 400. Everything you said is true! For head and shoulders portraits I'm always struggling between 85, 135 and 200. However I think that the 135 and 200 flattens the image too far and leads me to the 85. I invariably end up using many lenses on a shot to provide different perspectives. No right answer.
I love to use an Olympus 45 mm - effectively 90mm - with a small four thirds camera. It enables discrete, non intrusive, even surreptitious shots. A lot depends on whether you want the subject/ model to be conscious of your intentions. It you don’t, then the more compact gear gets better results.
For portraits the 85 and 70-200 for full body and capturing background elements it has to be the 55 35 they all have there uses. If I had to pick 1 it would be the 70-200 because it’s versatile
The 85 is lovely to get the right proportions. My husband hates it when I take photos with 35 or 50 because his body seems smaller and his head seems bigger. When shooting in 85 he looks all well proportioned. Same with my dogs. I have small dogs and when shooting with 35 their heads look massive. Too bad I’m not able to fit too much background when shooting 85. But it’s my favorite just because it stays true to reality. But for landscape photos or photos with gorgeous backgrounds is super fun using the 35 to play around with a subject in front. I guess we need to own them all!!! 😂
This is my question on lenses ... I'm fairly new but have a basic understanding. My daughter did pageants for a while so I have my "foot in the door" so to speak. Pageant head shots need to be close, clear and I'm trying to decide which lens for this. I saw an article that said the 50mm will distort as you get closer, but Canon has that really nice 1.4 for around $100, which I can do. The 85mm 1.2 is however way more expensive. I'm conflicted. Do you have any suggestions?
Chris Williamson I recommend 50mm for group photos or photos where you need a little bit of background in your picture or photos where there’s a lot of people passing by in front of you and you need to get closer to the subject without appearing you are too close to it. But if you need a clear headshot without distortion you definitely need an 85mm. If you type on google photos “distortion 55mm vs 85mm” you’ll find a bunch of photos where they compare all the different focal distances and you’ll be able to see the distortion they do.
Great review! Thank you, Manny. 🙌 I’ve bought an 85 1.4 recently, and this is my favorite lens now! I’ve had a 70-200 just once in my life to take a few sample shoots. Gonna test it more soon.✌️But now it’s time to enjoy an 85. 🔥
I tested a 35 and loved how you could include the background yet still be close to the model. I'm dying to get one. 85 is awesome too especially how it's lighter than the 70-200. Working distance is only that absurd when you shoot horizontally, and at 200, and full body. 200mm is great though like you said. 50 is just eh, doesn't stand out in either way honestly. Personally I'd go 35 and 85.
85mm all day for me. The nice thing, that I can crop a half body shot to a headshot, when I see that the facial expression is special (and get similar result as a 200mm FoV, only the megapixel count is lower) I use the Sigma 85 for the typical blurred urban portraits, about 80% of the time, and when I want to show the environment, I always pop on the Sigma 35. It's a damn great combo.
This shoot-out demonstrates that the longer the focal length, the better for portrait. Would you agree with that assessment? So maybe I should not drop my 90mm macro for the 85mm. Great job, you made it look easy.
My absolute favorite is the Sony Zeiss SAL-135F18Z 135mm f/1.8. It's sharp at f/1.8 and I feel like it splits the difference nicely between the 85mm f/1.4 and 70-200 f/2.8.
As much as I like the look of 200mm I love the expression of the 85mm, both are great but the latter is my favorite. This is a great video! I’m curious, have you been able to try the 100mm 2.8 STM GM OSS? Would love to know how you think that compares to the 85 and 70-200!
The 85mm to me was the sharpest and brought out more detail with colors. Thats a nice place you'll shot at. Chi-town may still have more to offer you'll in staying.
I like the 85 or even the 55, Where the background is blurred, but there is still Some distinction of your location. Especially if you’re shooting in a nice location.
In case of outdoor portrait I too prefer the 200mm Lens. Currently I'm having 70-300nikor AF-P lens that is the basic one that I use ....but for what I looked the video was to get to know that which is that one best lens for portrait shots when you there inside a hall in closed area with different colour lights all around
85 is the most versatile focal lenght, no doubt about It. Nice separation and blurred background while not too far from subject. But I still love the compression at 200mm and f2.8 😍
I feel I've been waiting for a (proper) 135mm for years.. and now I'm really close to buy the 70-200mm f2.8 instead. Manny, please put the Sigma Art 105 and -135 through some serious AF scenarios (and compare to the 135 w. MC11) when they're released with native FE mount!
Thanx for the reveiw. They are all great lenses. I am new to Sony (A7R3 - Wow) and using the Sony 100 400mm GM, Sony 90mm G and the new Tamron 28 75mm all of which are ridiculously good. I exect the Sony 55mm 1,8 will also find its way into my collection soon although a few good lotto wins would help.
Dude I rented a 85mm 1.8 for a family vacation and I loved it fella. Was able to capture some awesome shots on the beach. Might pull the trigger on soon. Thanks for the info
Awesome video Manny! Been following you on IG for a while, but somehow haven't watched your videos until now and man do I regret that! This is the video I didn't realize I needed to make my lens choice easier when I save enough money to add another lens to my kit, besides the kit-lens.
